Moray Alternative Torch Relay reaches Dufftown

Because the Olympic Flame only ‘touches’ the edge of the Moray Council boundary on Monday 11th June, a local group, Walk, Jog, Run Moray has decided to get more people involved by running its own Torch Relay, with a replica Torch and a target to involve 2012 local people in carrying it around the towns and villages of this beautiful part of the North East of Scotland. #citizenrelay caught up with the initiative as it reached the village of Dufftown on the morning of Monday 11th June.

First, we met with Amelia, a local resident who had come to see what she thought was the ‘official’ Olympic Torch Relay. Here are her thoughts.

We then spoke with Robin MacLennan, another local resident and Chieftain of the Dufftown Highland Games, who gave us his thoughts on the wider Moray community being able to get involved by carrying the alternative, DIY, Torch.

The ethos of the alternative Torch Relay was explained to #citizenrelay by Kim Paterson, one of the organisers of the event. Here, she talks about the support the Moray Torch Relay has had from the Olympic organisers.

As Kim explains, the Moray Torch Relay is focused on involvement and participation and this is why Jean Grant, the oldest Moray resident, was given the opportunity to carry the Moray Torch through her home village, Dufftown, and handed it over to the youngest resident. Here are Jean’s thoughts on a special day.

What do you think?

#CitizenRelay is a participatory project which relies on the involvement of people from across Scotland to effectively report on the untold local stories and creative ways that Scotland’s citizens are interacting with the Olympic Games. We will be following the Olympic torch in the #citizenrelay bus from the 7th June onwards as it makes its way through Scotland. Read more details here.

We have recruited interns across Scotland to help us manage teams of citizen reporters based in hubs around the activity points of the torch relay, we also are on the look out for stories and leads, individuals and communities, organisations and physical spaces to join us in the story-telling process on and off the route. If you are interested or have an idea to share, get in touch.